Salman Khan Hit-And-Run Case: Actor Denies He Was Driving The Car

Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesMUMBAI, INDIA - MARCH 13: Bollywood actor Salman Khan after the hearing of his 2002 hit-and-runcase at the Mumbai Sessions court on March 13, 2015 in Mumbai, India. The sessions court here said it proposes to record the statement of the accused, Bollywood actor Salman Khan, from March 23 to enable him present his defence on the evidence put up by the prosecution. (Photo by Arijit Sen/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

For the first time in 13 years, actor Salman Khan has given his version of the infamous 2002 hit-and-run case in a court today. The superstar has reportedly claimed that he was not driving the SUV that ran over people sleeping on a pavement in Mumbai, his driver Ashok Singh was.

The accident took the life of one person and injured four people.

According to the Hindustan Times, 49-year-old Khan arrived at the Mumbai Sessions Court at 11 am on Friday, attired in a white shirt and blue denim jeans and his deposition began 30 minutes later. Accompanying him in court were his sisters Alvira and Arpita as well as his personal bodyguard.

Testifying in a Mumbai sessions court, the 49-year-old repeatedly denied that he drove his Toyota Land Cruiser at a high speed, in a drunk state, in the early hours of 28 September 2002.

"My left door was jammed so I could not open it," Mr Khan said, according to this report by NDTV, when the court asked him to respond to witnesses, including his bodyguard Ravindra Patil, saying he exited from the driver's side.

When asked whether he had been sitting on the driver's seat, he admitted to doing so, but only "briefly" when one driver got out and another, Ashok Singh, took over.

He also denied being drunk, even though he confirmed that he was at a bar in Juhu's JW Marriott hotel and another bar called Rain in Bandra (which has since shut down). While earlier reports said he was drunk, Khan said he "only drank water" and didn't order a single cocktail. He claimed that the bills made out for drinks as well as food weren't his.

As for the claim made by Munnu Shaikh, one of the witnesses had said in May 2014 that Khan was so drunk that he had fallen down and gotten up again. When asked about this by the judge, Khan replied, "False."

The NDTV report also says that Khan contradicted accounts that said he ran away from the accident spot. "I instructed the driver to inform the police. I remained at the spot for 15 minutes or more," he told the court.

On 5 December last year, the court had ordered a fresh trial after charges against the actor were enhanced to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. If the court convicts Khan, then he could be in jail for up to ten years.